Pre-race Agonizing - Finishing last? (Read 997 times)

11 days untilI toe the line for my first marathon. I've got the taper insecurities raging but I know the miles are in the bank . I'm uninjured and ready to run.

Looking at last year's results, 104 people started the race (not me because I was injured). 102 of those folks finished.

I feel like I'm trained to run somewhere between a 4:30 and 4:45 (HM's 2:12 and 2:05) race but if something bad happens I could easily finish last since there were only 22 runners between 4:30 and 5:48. My goal for this first race is just to finish so being last wouldn't be the end of the world but I don't want to be that person.

I've never been beyond 20 miles so there is a lot of uncharted territory for me. The 2 - 20 milers I ran in training were awesome and I finished both feeling strong. In the second 20 miler I ran the last six miles at a 10:06 pace just to see what I had in the tank. I felt like I could have gone the distance from there although maybe not at that pace.

I recently finished last in a race. There was a 3- and 6-mile option. I ran the 6 miler along with 2 other runners. At one point I was behind the sweepers. As I ran by them they apologized for removing the course markers. They had thought I was on my cool-down jog.

I was the only woman running, which meant I won my division. It was a strange feeling knowing I was the only one left on the course. But it was OK. I always thought finishing last would bother me, but as it turns out, it doesn't.

11 days untilI toe the line for my first marathon. I've got the taper insecurities raging but I know the miles are in the bank . I'm uninjured and ready to run.

Looking at last year's results, 104 people started the race (not me because I was injured). 102 of those folks finished.

I feel like I'm trained to run somewhere between a 4:30 and 4:45 (HM's 2:12 and 2:05) race but if something bad happens I could easily finish last since there were only 22 runners between 4:30 and 5:48. My goal for this first race is just to finish so being last wouldn't be the end of the world but I don't want to be that person.

I've never been beyond 20 miles so there is a lot of uncharted territory for me. The 2 - 20 milers I ran in training were awesome and I finished both feeling strong. In the second 20 miler I ran the last six miles at a 10:06 pace just to see what I had in the tank. I felt like I could have gone the distance from there although maybe not at that pace.

Anyone ever finish last in a race?

I've been close in age-groups. I've finished last in other sports, and it has never bothered me. I do it all for fun. My motto is "finish last well." What bothers me are sore sports, people who take it too seriously and basically throw low-level tantrums when they lose (sometimes it is high-level, like wrapping golf clubs around trees or throwing them in the water----Tiger has been doing this, and it sucks.) You'll find that racing is really about competing against your past self. Realizing your potential.

Someone has to finish last---be the caboose---otherwise the race is not defined. If you do finish last, do it with a smile, and revel in the fact that you are alive, have working legs, and just covered a distance that 99% of the human race will never, EVER cover in one day.

I recently finished last in a race. There was a 3- and 6-mile option. I ran the 6 miler along with 2 other runners. At one point I was behind the sweepers. As I ran by them they apologized for removing the course markers. They had thought I was on my cool-down jog.

I was the only woman running, which meant I won my division. It was a strange feeling knowing I was the only one left on the course. But it was OK. I always thought finishing last would bother me, but as it turns out, it doesn't.

Great story! I'm really glad you were able to finish and win your division!

I've got a lot of personal reasons for attempting the distance in the first place so finishing is THE prize here. The only one I have anything to prove to is myself.

Someone has to finish last---be the caboose---otherwise the race is not defined. If you do finish last, do it with a smile, and revel in the fact that you are alive, have working legs, and just covered a distance that 99% of the human race will never, EVER cover in one day.

--Jimmy

I'm the kind of guy that would take a last place finish and use it to convince others that the journey is worth taking. I would then get back on the road and train harder for the next race!

I got passed by 8 runners in the last 50 meters of a race to come in dead last back in 2009. It was a little disappointing to see the standings after and only have one person below me...with a DNF instead of a time but it was a PR for me and I had fun so I'm still happy that I ran the race. After the race I went out with some friends for beers and nachos exactly like I would have if I won.

I finished my first race as an adult dead last male (beat by 70 y/o), Before that in middle school got yanked off the track before being lapped and trampled by the big boys in a 800 M (yes that's not a typo). Though not much faster now I no longer worry about finishing last.